Whispering into Hearts -The Musical Expression of Emotion

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart " Judy Garland

The musical expression of emotion is not easy to master; however it is the ultimate goal of many artists. A great deal of modern music simply enters our ears and may move our bodies but seldom our soul. Very few artists can compose soaring melodies intertwining lyrics that whisper into our hearts the full gamut of human experience. Tanja Maritsa is one of these artists. Tanja writes a blend of folk, jazz and contemporary songs that soothe the soul and mellow the mind. She is a songstress that spins works that heal, inspire, and calm. Each of Tanja's songs is one tiny miracle of muse, a droplet of pure emotion and taken together they're a tranquil flowing river along a twisting journey.

Tanja's music has the inherent ability to reach out and touch others, and that is her goal as an artist. Tanja says, "I choose songs that have meaning to me and that I really love in the hope that they will touch other people." It is out of this absolute passion for music and her unique development as an artist that Tanja's sounds of timeless emotion and inner innocence came to life.

Tanja was born in London, England. However, she spent the first five formidable years of her life living in Paris, France. It's no irony that her first words were spoken in the language of love - French! Her early years growing up in Paris were extremely vital to her development as an artist. She was exposed to the romantic influences from the culture, scenery, and the music of Paris. These images and sounds remained seared into her soul, and to this day are a vital part of her compositions.Paris and the

French culture were important, but there were other important influences on Tanja as an artist. Perhaps the most "instrumental" of these came from her mother. Tanja states, "My mother always used to sing and I started formal classical singing lessons when I was about fifteen years old ..." As Tanja grew from child to adult, her appreciation of music began to move towards more mellow styles. She indulged in the styles of the old jazz divas such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday and began to idolize the "High Priestess of Soul," Nina Simone. As Tanja developed as a songwriter, she paid special attention to the song craft of great writers such as Cat Stevens, Nick Drake and John Martyn.

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." Judy Garland

While many other artists have influenced Tanja, she stays true to herself. She remains stylistically unique even though others have compared her to the likes of Joni Mitchell and Eva Cassidy. Tanja states, "While these are artists who have influenced me, I want to be genuine in my music and to be myself."

Tanja writes almost all her melodies and lyrics, although she will also carefully choose cover material to perform or record. Her inspiration is born out of quiet moments - whenever and wherever they may be. Whether sitting on a train or walking through London in the early morning it is out of these quiet creative capsules that her creative process is born. Her lyrics and melodies are sculpted out of a tapestry of human emotion. They are introspective, sometimes personal and yield insight into the total human experience.

Whether it is sadness, relationships, or romance - all are reflections of her experience as a songwriter and as a person.While Tanja has performed in many venues, both in London and New York, her first professional release came in 2008 on Freedom Music, Ltd. with 'Child in My Heart.' With fourteen tracks the project is a perfect example of the Maritsa's artistic style and heavenly ability. Truly seasoned professionals back her songwriting and evocative vocals. There is meticulous production work by the legendary arranger Richard Niles and the remarkable piano instrumentation of Gwil Simcock.

Tanja’s music can whisper into hearts and she has mastered the musical expression of emotion. Her songs induce the inner innocence and the winding journey through life. Her lyrics build and follow their own "yellow brick road" and her melodies rise up an "over the rainbow." They arrive at a mystical, dreamy place in your mind that rivals Oz itself. It is not into our ears that her music is whispered but into our hearts.